Motion-picture change-over device



July 29,1930.

L. D. STRONG MOTION PICTURE CHANGE-OVER DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E; x 1 2 1 F I 50 :2 I g 1 J J 1 .51" 53/1 (W i=- g i 1 35' I J was 45 I I flue/Z333? lawrenc-ejq, 1 MQK 72% July 29, 1930. L. D. STRONG 1,771,590

' uonou PICTURE CHANGE-OVER DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 29, 1930] LAWRENCE n. STRONG, F MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS MOTION-PICTURE CHANGE-OVER DEVICE f I Application filed Augl st 2, 1926. Serial No. 126,699.

In producing motion pictures,3it is customary -to provide two or more projecting machines, and at times these are used in combination with stereoscopic machines in order to produce moving pictures as well as still pictures. In the operation of these machines, it is. desirable at times to change from one to another, as for instance when one reel of a film is finished in one machine, which is then cut out and another machine with the next reel is cut in without any appreciable delay or interruption. The present invention relates to systems for making such changes or changeovers and to means whereby these operations may be made in a convenient and satisfactory manner.

The objects of this invention are to provide an improved system of changeover-s for projecting machinesjto provide an improved changeover system.v whereby one projecting machine in a cooperating group such as picture machine, stereoscopic machine andefi'ect machine may be cut in and'all other .projecting machines will be cutout, from any convenient point in the booth or projecting room; to provide an improved shutterv mechanism for changing a picture from. one machine to another; to provide a device of this character which may be readily installed in the wall of the projecting room or which may be attached to the machine; andto'provide such other advantages and novel features as will be described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention: I

Figure 1 is a side view of a projecting machine shovving my improved changeover device attached thereto "Figure 1 illustrates the front wall of the projection booth with the change-over shown in dotted lines secured thereto;

" ",Figure/ 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating he method of wiring for two shutters ,orQchangeo'v'ers;' i

' Figure3 is a front view of the changeover showing the shutters in open position, parts "being broken away to show the interior construction;

- 'Figufe 4 is aid'etail showing the solenoid;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

In these drawings various parts are shown diagrammatically. As shown in Figure 1, the projecting machine 6, ,which may be of any ordinary or preferred form, is provided as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, in which case the shutter opening is arranged in front of the projecting lens and in alignment with the port opening 13 in the wall.

As shown in Figures 3. to 5 inclusive, the changeover device comprises a plate or casing 14having an opening 15 in the front wall of the same, which is placed in alignment with the projecting machine. The upper part of the ,plate or casing has "a flanged cover 16 which also has a hole or opening in alignment with the hole 15. The opening'15 is controlled by suitable shutters for opening and closing the same, which shutters are actuated by an electro-magnetic device. In

the present instance, I have shown shutters l7 and 18 which are pivoted at 19 and 20 .to'

the plate 14 and their lower ends are connected by means of links 21 and 22 with a rod or projection 23 on the slidable armature 24 of the doublesolenoid 25. The opposite end of the slidable armature 24 is provided with a rod 26 which extends out through the casing so that the shutters may be operated by ban by inoving this rod in and out which will swing the shutters on their pivots. The solenoid comprises two coils 2 7 and 28 which are provided with connecting or-lead-in wires 29 and 30 and a common return wire'31. These wires are preferably brought out at either end between two protecting washers, 49, 50 as will be seen fronf Figure 4. The solenoid is secured to the plate 14 by means of a cap 32 and screws 33. An abutment wall 34 extends up from the plate 14 at one side of the solenoid and sealing wax or the like 35 is poured in between the abutment and the solenoid and serves to insulate and support the connecting wires. The lower portion of the easing 14 is also provided with a cover 36 for protecting the solenoid and adjacent parts. It will be readily seen that when current is supplied to the coil 27, the armature 24 will be raised and the shutters will be swung outwardly as shown in full lines in Figure 3. stop 37 is provided for engagement by the arm or projection 23 to limit the opening movement of the shutters. This stop is preferably made of rubber or other suitable resilient material and is held by means of a screw 38. When the shutters are to be closed, current is supplied to the lower coil 28 which pulls the armature down and swings the shutters to closing position, as shown in the dotted lines in Figure 3.

While, as above set forth, any desired number of projectors may be equipped with these changeovers and may be wired so that they may be operated in any desired sequence, I

have shown in Figure 2 a wiring dia am forv a pair of these devices. The solenoi s 25 and 25" areconnected by wires 31 and 31 with a wire 39 which leads from one terminal 40 of any suitable source of electricity. The opposite terminal 41 is connected by means of a wire 42 with a switch 43 and the wire 29 from the coil 27 leads to the switch contact 44. The wire 29 is also directly connected with the wire 30" of the coil 28.

The wire 42is also connected by means of wire 45 to the second switch 46. The contact 47 of this switch is connected by a wire 48 with the wire 30 of the coil 28 and with the wire 29' of the coil 27. V

When the switch 43 is closed and the switch 46 is open, as shown in Figure 2, the coils 27 and 28 will be energized thereby openin the shutters o erated by the first solenoid and closing the s utters of the second solenoid. When it is desired to change over, the switch 43 is opened and the switch 46 is closed. This will energize the coils 28 and 27 thereby closing the shutters associated with the solenoid 25 and opening the shutters associated with the solenoid 25*. The circuits are so simple that they will be readily understood by anyone familiar with this art and furnish an illustration of the connecting up of these devices for difierent conditions.

From this description, it will be seen that I provide changeover devices and a system of operation whereby the devices may be readily apghed to any type of projecting machine an more particularly are entirely independentin operation from the machines. Furthermore, it will be apparent that changes may be made in the details of construction and arfrom the scope of this invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the particularieatures of construction herein shown and described, except as pointed out in the following claims, in which- I claim: a

1. The combination with a plurality of changeovers for a like number of moving picture machines, each changeover being operatively independent of the machine and each comprising a shutter and an electromagnetic device having a plurality of windings for operating the same, each of said changeovers being positioned between its respective moving picture machine and the screen, a source of electricity and means for connecting the source ofelectricity with the respective shutter is opened the other shutters Wlll be closed.

2. The combination with a pair of moving picture machines, of a pair of changeovers'for a like number of moving picture machines, each changeover being operatively independent of the machine and each changeover being positioned in frontof its respective machine and adjacent thereto, and comprising a shutter, a solenoid for operating each shutter, said solenoids having sectional windin and having movable armatures connected with the shutters, and a source of electric supply and conductors and switches for connecting the source of current with different windings on the respective solenoids whereby when one. shutter is opened the other shutter Wlll be closed.

3. The combination with a plurality of projecting machines, of electrically operated means for cutting off light from each machine, said means being placed between the pro ectin tir ely independent in construction an operation from the projecting machine, circuits from a source of electricity to said means, and switches arranged in said circuits so that when any one of said means is opened all of the others will be closed.

LAWRENCE D. STRONG.

- rangement of the parts without departing windings whereby when any one lUU machines and the screen and bein en- I 

